| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Comedy |
I had reservations in watching “Tanging Ina.” Even if I know for a fact that it’ s the top Filipino film, grossing Php13 million in its opening day and earning P200 million up to date, it is still not on my movie list. After all, I grew up with a notion that Filipino films are either corny or baduy, thanks to bad (and almost always x-rated) Filipino movies shown and produced while I was growing up. But “Tanging Ina” is an intriguing movie right from the start. With a title that sounds like a Tagalog swear word and an unusual storyline that was peppered with spoofs from Star Cinema Blockbusters like “Anak,” “Madrasta,” “Kailangan Kita,” “Tanging Yaman,” and “Bata, Bata, Paano Ka Ginawa,” it has piqued the interest of the people enough to lead them to the movie houses to watch it.
Ai-Ai de las Alas, together with Star Cinema’s young contract stars, stars this Comedy movie which was directed by TV director Wenn Deramas. “Tanging Ina” was not originally meant for Daramas. But upon learning that it would star Ai-Ai, Deramas grabbed the opportunity to work with the comedienne he loves so much. “Tanging Ina” is Ai Ai’s first solo movie after 13 years in the Business. The movie is about a single mother, Ina Monticillo, who will do anything just to be able to give the needs of her children. Risking her safety and even dignity to achieve this task, she worked all sorts of job from a promo girl to a construction worker and eventually ending up as a gay impersonator/singer in a club. But things are never easy as her relationship with her children suffers because of her job. She tried to give the very best of practically everything for her children, but it seems that her very best is never good enough. In the end, everything turned out well when her children eventually understood that everything she does, even how embarrassing and low it may seem, is all for them. Giving the movie a twist is the fact that Ina has a dozen kids from 3 different husbands.
The concept of a movie about a mother doing everything for her children is nothing ordinary and have in fact been used in many other films before. What made it into something new and fresh is the fact that it was portrayed in a comedy. It also helped a lot that in this film, Filipino Comedy has been portrayed in a different formula. The approach has really deviated from the traditional fashion, which rely on slapstick and toilet humor, and almost always ending with a ridiculous chase sequence Filipino Comedies have been known for. Most of “Tanging Ina’s” lines were smart and hilarious and would appeal not only to the Masa but to all sorts of people. Also, one factor that has attributed to its success is the Filipinos’s penchant for underdogs. We want our heroes and heroines as api as they can be but still at the end be able to achieve what they want and “Tanging Ina” has that as well.
But what made the movie so popular and watch worthy is the fact that every Pinoy can relate to it. The movie is as realistic as it can be. There are no exaggerations in the script and also in the acting. It has portrayed the realistic situation of how hard it is to raise a family in the country especially if you are a single parent. It has shown how hard it is to earn money that your educational background and experience may sometimes don’t matter; you will grab every job available, even having rakets on the sides, as long as you make enough money for the family’s needs hence Ina landing a job as a gay impersonator. It has also touched the hearts of the viewers as the movie points all through out the film that a parent’s love for her kids is so great that all hardships and pain are worth enduring just to be able to give her children a bright future. The lines are witty, the acting good and the plot spiced with morals and lessons. A total brew for a blockbuster hit.
Critics didn’t expect “Tanging Ina” to do so well that it will become as the Philippine’s All Time Box Office Hit. After all, it has tough competition with “Pakners,” which starred The King Fernando Poe Jr. and Billiards Champion Efren Bata Reyes. But it did do so well that it has dislodged “Anak” in it’s throne. It even garnered awards from Award Giving Bodies such as the Best Actress Award and Most Popular Writer for its script. “Tanging Ina” deserves the top movie slot of all times. It has a good storyline and script, good actors and a good director that was able to execute the script so well that no gaps with the story can be seen. All grounds were covered; the audience won’t be left guessing and hanging on scenes. It is a movie that was able to tackle a serious situation (raising a big family as a single parent) and deliver it in a light manner, a very Filipino perspective way of living. “Tanging Ina” has also started a trend in the Filipino movie industry; a trend for witty and not-OA Comedy Films. As for me, it has me really entertained for the two hours of watching it.
No comments:
Post a Comment